Tim gave me this CD EP for my birthday in 2003. He seemed surprised that I'd heard of Maher Shalal Hash Baz — I'm not sure that he had heard of them actually; his gift selection has always been a bit random, though he invariably boasts of how little he paid for them. To be fair, the CDs I've bought him have never been a success, either. We both have large collections that overlap so little (Neil Young's On the Beach, 69 Love Songs of course, some New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Stone Roses) and I think we've given up trying to please each other with musical gifts. Well, I speak for myself.
Anyway, I already knew the Stone in the River song, featured in two versions on this CD, from a Geographic label compilation that I recorded onto minidisc from D's CD copy. And John Peel had them in session, though not until a few months after Tim gave me this.
Just because I knew it doesn't mean I get it. In fact having ten songs all together (lasting only fifteen minutes in total) is even more bewildering than just the Stone in the River. Strange.
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